North Chicago police probe deaths of 2 children in family

North Chicago police and the Lake County Major Crimes Task Force are investigating the deaths of two young children from the same family within four months, police announced.

Six-month-old Desire Thompson died on Dec. 28 last year and her half-brother, 3-year-old Tyquan Thompson, died on May 6. “Undetermined cause” was listed in both deaths, Lake County Coroner Artis Yancey said.

The deaths are “still under investigation” and authorities are “looking into all leads,” North Chicago Interim Police Chief James Jackson said.

No suspects have been named in the investigation, Jackson said.

“There is a lot of evidence that was sent to the Northeastern Illinois Crime Lab,” he said. “The Lake County Major Crimes Task Force became the lead investigators in May 2012 as a result of their expertise.”

George Filenko, commander of the task force and police chief in Round Lake Park, declined to comment.